Bedtime stalling/wearing out a two year old

dizzycooks

We have had a lot of trouble lately getting our 2yo to bed. She cries, gets out of bed, begs to go potty, etc. for up to two hours. If we take her to the bathroom she wants to go again and will repeatedly pee her diaper and cry, but then still pee more when she gets on the pot. The kid has serious control issues (no idea where that came from....) Anyhow, we are trying to figure out how to prevent the stalling at bedtime and I don't think she would understand the whole "You screwed around last night so tonight we are going to bed early" concept. We are moving her bedtime a little later, but it's hard because the baby is in her room now and needs to go to bed earlier, but then we can't do snuggles and stories in the bedroom when it's time for dd1 to go to bed. Issues, I know Our latest plan is to wear her out so she's exhausted at bedtime. On really busy days she has asked to go to bed and goes down well. My problem is that I cannot wear her out! Apparently playing in her kitchen, with her doll and painting with me is not tiring (shocking!). We go for walks and she walks most of it these days, we go to the park or she plays in our yard for up to 2 hours at a time, her afternoon nap is no more than two hours. DH takes her swimming at night or wrestles her or runs around the yard being crazy, but she still has energy to burn. To say she is energetic and physical is an understatement.

I guess my questions are these:
1. What time does your 2yo go to bed/wake up?
2. What do you do about bedtime stalling?
3. How do you wear your kid out?!

Mrs.Hizzo

What time are you putting her to bed? I wouldn't move her bedtime later, not unless you're currently putting her to bed at six or something. Is she in a crib or a bed?

1. At 2, we did lights-out at 7:00.
2. There was no bedtime stalling. We used a doorknob cover so they couldn't get out of their rooms and kept a baby monitor with us when we went down to watch TV.
3. Physical activity, trips to the museum/zoo, etc.

littlemermaid

Make sure her nap isn't falling too late in the afternoon.  A good stretch of being awake before bedtime helps. 

chickaboo1974

1. What time does your 2yo go to bed/wake up? They went to bed at 8pm and got up at between 8-9 am
2. What do you do about bedtime stalling? My boys were still in their cribs- so we had our routine then stories and I was out the door. They didn't get out of the crib/room.
3. How do you wear your kid out?! My boys are full of energy- we would do chase games, bouncing on the guest bed, going on walks, park, our yard is large- so I would ask them to bring me things from the farthest point (sounds mean but it wore them out and they thought they were helping out), they would vacuum for me (tugging that thing around is enough to tire me out).

and I wanted to add- your LO is the age my boys started to have issues with napping(not wanting to nap)-they were 2y 9 months when we gave up the nap and changed bedtime to 7pm.

dizzycooks

She currently goes to bed around 7:30 and sleeps until 7 or 8am. Isn't falling asleep until 8:30 or 9 though. Her nap is from 1-3 and she's pretty good about it. She is in a bed and has been for 9ish months. I would be fine letting her do whatever except she's waking the lo up. I really don't want to shorten her afternoon nap but that may be my other option.

bumpuser8448316

That's around the age DS really started fighting bedtime. I started letting him take a couple of books to bed with him and let him "read" until he fell asleep. He still goes to bed with books and looks at them for about 30 min before he falls asleep. But most importantly- be consistent. If she gets up, put her right back to bed with little discussion. Tend to her needs if she really has some but if she's just stalling, straight back to bed.

Aussie45

Kimbus22 said:

We have him run laps. I know that sounds horrible.  But he literally runs from one end of the house to the other for 15 or 20 minutes while we yell out the number Lap he's doing.  Usually that'll exhaust whatever energy he has left.

Just think how much we could accomplish if we had even a fraction of the energy of our kids.

dizzycooks

Yeah two hours is ridic I agree. I don't want to drop the nap for my sanity and also because daycare has I've for another year or two and she will be returning there in august and be expected to nap. I'll try moving it earlier, we've mostly stuck with 1-3 because that's daycare naptime.

Aussie45

dizzykates said:

Yeah two hours is ridic I agree. I don't want to drop the nap for my sanity and also because daycare has I've for another year or two and she will be returning there in august and be expected to nap. I'll try moving it earlier, we've mostly stuck with 1-3 because that's daycare naptime.

Are all daycares like this? It seems weird to have such a 'set' time, when it's clear that your DD doesn't seem to be tired and could benefit from and earlier naptime. Maybe you could do the same time, but just cut it short? Daycare wouldn't force her to stay asleep for two hours or not wake her up if you asked, right?

Linnea503

DS sleeps from 7pm (sometimes 6:30) to about 7am, sometimes 7:30 or later. BUT he does not nap. I was horrified at first, but now just enjoy the early bedtime. If he napped he would stall/not be tired until 9pm or later.

Now I just need to figure out how to get my infant to bed early!

As for stalling, I have no good advice. We have to sit with DS or he wails legitimate tears and neither DH or I are comfortable letting him scream night after night.

blushingbride_08

1. What time does your 2yo go to bed/wake up? Wakes Around 7:30am. Bed 7:00pm or 4 hrs from when he woke from nap. 2. What do you do about bedtime stalling? I'm pregnant so I have no time for foolishness. Usually I'm too tired. We stick to a bedtime routine. After that he goes in his crib and goodnight. Sometimes he cries for a bit but only bc he's being stubborn. 3. How do you wear your kid out?! Lately we've been going to spray parks. Something about water wears out my son. He usually naps for 4 hrs when we go. Otherwise it's 2-3 hrs.